Vehicle draft means



April A14, 1942;

R. N. JANEWAY VEHICLE DRAFT MEANS Original Filed Feb. 8, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l [N VEN TOR A TT ORNE YS- April 14, 1942. R. N. JANEwAY 2,279,993A

l VEHICLE DRAFT MEANS Original Filed Feb. 8, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR E- BY Kalff/X muy A T ORNE Y5.

Patented Apr." `14, 1942` UNITED ,STATES PATENT o FFICE VVEHICLE DRAFT MEANS Robert N. Janeway, Detroit, Mich., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Railroad Rolling Stock Patents Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application January 12, 1940, Serial No. 313,547

Original application `February 8, 1937, Serial No. 124,558. Divided and this application January 12, 1940, Serial N0. 313,547 I aclaims. (ci. zia- 12) My invention relates to `railway vehicle equip- Y ment and it has `particular relation to an imviding a noveltype" of vehicle interconnecting means of the character indicated in which the interconnecting means serves to cushion `any forces transmitted thereby,` regardless of whether such forces are compressive or tensional `in nature;`

` For reference may now be had to drawings, in whichi Fig. 1 is a View, partially in planV andfpartially in section, illustrating the` adjacent ends of two railway vehicles connected together by draft means embodying one form ofmy invention.

the accompanying ia betterunderstanding of my invention Fig. 2` is a view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1 showing one of the positions occupied by my draft means whilefthe vehicles `which it inter-` connectsare passing around a curve in the railroad -track.

Fig. 3 is a view of the structure shown in Fig. l, illustrating the positions occupied by the various parts of my draft means at a moment of impact between thev two railroad vehicles.

` Fig. 4 is a view, partially in plan and partially insectionQillustrating the adjacent ends of two railway `vehicles connected together by draft `means embodying a slightly modified form ofmy invention.

Fig. 5 is a view of the structure illustratedin Fig. 4 showing one of the positions occupied by my draft means while the vehicles which it interconnected are passing arounda curve in the` railroad tracks.

" "Fig 6 is a viewof the structure shown in Fig. 4,

shown diagrammatically` two car bodies I0 and, Il, provided with Vassociated. supporting trucks of impact I2 and I3 respectively `and with king pins or 55j which are mounted two roller members 28.

center bearings III` and I5, respectively, about which the trucks `turn with respectto the car bodies. `Each truck is, of course, provided with the usual wheels I6 and axles Il, the wheels engaging the rails I8.

'I'he car II is provided with an identical set of` parts which have been marked with the same reference numerals. l

On the bottom of each car body as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, ismounted a frame 26 comprising two arcuate guiding surfaces 21 between The guide surfaces represent arcs drawn about the center bearings I4 and I5, respectively, although they may be drawn about anyother predetermined points if desired, and the two surfaces 21.

`are spaced from` each other a distance slightlyl greater than the diameter of the rollers 28, permitting the rollers 28v to roll freely `over either surface without frictionally engaging the other surface.4

, The two rollers 28 fare held in spaced relationship by means of spacing links 29 and are likewise rotatably mounted on the ends of two spaced links 43l). The adjacent ends of oppositely disposed links `3|l are pivotally connected together and to opposite ends of a collapsible cylinder type of guiding device 3| by pins 32 and 33. Pin 32 is connected to a cylinder 34, which slidably encloses a piston or sleeve 35 to the opposite end of which pin 33 is pivotallysecured. A coil spring 36 surrounds the cylinder 34 and sleeve 35and issecured to the ends thereofsov as" to resiliently oppose either .expansion or contraction of the guiding device. In addition, the members 34 and 35 may be employed as a hydraulic or. pneumatic shock absorber' if desired. The links 30 mounted `on car II may be providedwith coupling members 31, it being desirable that these couplings be of `therigidconnection type which will hold the `two parts of the links 30 in rigid relationship.

In addition, coupling members may also be ern-l plyed in the links 30 of car I0, or3some other coupling arrangement may be used, it being only essential that means be provided for readily coupling and uncoupling the adjacent cars `IIJ and I I when desired.` f

When any tension isl exerted 'on the draft means by` either car the pins 32 and 33, being spaced ai greater distance than the rollersV 28,

,whose relative position is fixed by `spacing links 29, tend to be draw `towards each other, which movement is resiliently opposed by the coil spring CFI the movable portions of the draft mechanism to move freely with respect to the arcuate guides I and therefore with respect to the 'car ends as the surfaces 2'I constitute arcs drawn about the pins I4 vand I5 as centers, and as the rollers 28 move freely thereon, the draft mechanism will automatically adjust itself with respect to those centers so that regardless of the relative angularity of the cars I and II, as the cars pass around la curve in the tracks, the draft mechanism Will always occupy a position symmetrically arranged about a line interconnecting the two center supports I4 and I5, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and all forces transmitted by said draft mechanism will have effective points of application of forces on the cars Ill and II at the points I4 and I5, respectively.

In the structure illustrated in Figs. 4, and 6 the car bodies IIJ and I I are provided with trucks I2 and I3 mounted on center bearings I4 and I5 respectively. In addition, each car body is provided with a frame 25 incorporating arcuate guiding surfaces 2l, which, as described in connection with Figs. 1 to 3, represent arcs drawn about the center bearings I4 and I 5, or any other desired points as axes. Roller members 28 are likewise mounted between the guide surfaces 2'I and are free to roll on either of them. Likewise the two roller members are held in the desired relative positions by spacing links 29.

Links 40 are pivotally secured at one end to the rollers 28 and extend divergently towards the adjacent end of the car. On the opposite ends of the links 4t are pivotally mounted blocks 4I which are slidably mounted in laterally disposed frames 42 provided with parallel guides 43 between which the blocks are confined. The ends of the frames 42 are closed and between the blocks 4I and the i closed ends of the frames 42 are disposed coiled compression springs 44. Between the two blocks 4I is disposed a coiled compression spring 45. Each frame 42 is provided with a coupling member 46, 45 which cooperates with a corresponding coupling member of another car to lock the two frames 42 into a rigid unit and at the same time to permit of readily uncoupling the two cars when desired.

When tension is placed on the draft means by either car the blocks 4I of both cars tend to move towards each other, which movement is resiliently opposed by the springs 45, thus cushioning any such suddenly imposed forces. When a compression force is exerted by either car on the other, as best shown in Fig. 6, the blocks 4I tend to separate further, as previously explained, which movement is resiliently opposed by the compres- `sion springs 44, thus cushioning any such impact.

The rollers 28 move on the arcuate surfaces 2'I, as described in connection with Figs. 1 to 3, to keep the movable portions of the draft mechanism at all times symmetrically disposed With respect to a straight line interconnecting the two truck centers I4 and I5, even though the cars may be passing around a curve in the tracks, as shown in Fig. 5, thus causing all forces exerted by one car on` the other to have an effective point ofk application at these points, and causing the forces so imposed to berdirected on a line interconnecting the center bearings I4 and I5.

Although I have illustrated several forms which my invention may assume and have described in detail several applications thereof it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In vehicle draft means, an arcuate guide member adapted to be fixedly mounted on a vehicle adjacent one end thereof and disposed transversely with respect thereto; a roller structure including a plurality of rollers and means for maintaining said rollers in spaced relation carried by said guide member and adapted for rolling movement relatively thereto; a pair of links respectively pivotally secured at one end thereof to said roller structure; rectilinear guide means pivotally connected to the spaced opposite ends of said links including means for yieldably restraining relative movement between said opposite ends; and vehicle coupling means operatively associated With said guide means and links respectively, and constructed and arranged such that draft forces tending to cause movement of said links toward and away from each other are cushioned by said guide means.

2. In vehicle draft means, an arcuate guide member adapted to be fixedly mounted on a vehicle adjacent one end thereof and disposed transversely with respect thereto; a roller structure including a plurality of rollers and means for maintaining said rollers in spaced relation carried by said guide member and adapted for rolling movement relatively thereto; a pair of links respectively pivotally secured at one end thereof to said roller structure; rectilinear guide means connected to the opposite ends of said links including means for yieldably restraining relative movement between said opposite ends; an additional pair of links pivotally carried by the aforesaid links, and a coupler carried by each of said additional links.

3. In combination with a pair of vehicles adapted for draft connection with one another, arcuate guide members transversely mounted on respective adjacent ends of said vehicles; roller structures carried by said respective guide members for rolling movement relatively thereto; pairs of links, the respective links of each pair being pivotally secured at one of their end portions to one of said roller structures; pivotal connecting means for connecting the respective links of one pair with the respective links of the other pair; and means interconnecting said pivotal connections including means for yieldably restraining relative movement thereof.

4. TheV combination set forth in claim 3 wherein the links of one of said pairs each include detachable coupling means.

5. In combination with a pair of vehicles Aadapted for draft connection with one another,

arcuate guide members transversely mounted on respective adjacentends of said vehicles; roller structures carried by said respective guide members for rolling movement relatively thereto; pairs of links pivotally secured at their respective end portions to each of said roller structures; pivotal connecting means for connecting the respective links of one pair with the respective links of the other pair; and rectilinear guide means interconnecting the spaced pivotal connections of the links, said. guide means including end portions adapted for movement towards and away from one another; and means for resiliently restraining said movement.

6. In vehicle draft means, an arcuate guide `member adapted to be iiXedly-mounted on a vehicle adjacent one end thereof and disposed transversely with respect thereto; a. roller struc- -ture including a plurality of rollers and means for maintaining said.` rollers in spaced relation j carried by said guide member and adapted for `transversely withl respect thereto;` a roller structure including a plurality of rollers and means for maintaining said rollers inspaced relation carried by said guide member and adapted for rolling movement relatively thereto; a pair of links pivotally secured at one end thereof to said roller structure; guide means including a pair of elements transversely slidable relatively to one another and to said vehicle; means pivotally securing the opposite ends of said links to said respective elements; means for yieldably restraining movement of said elements; and a vehicle coupler carried by said guide means.

8. In vehicle draft means, an arcuate guide member adapted to be iixedly mounted on a vehicle adjacent one end thereof and disposed transversely With respect thereto; a roller structure including a plurality of rollers and means for maintaining" said rollers in spaced relationy y carried by said guide member and adapted for rolling movement relatively thereto; ,a pair of links pivotallysecured at one end thereof to said roller structure; combined coupling and guide `means including a coupling portion adapted for f connection to an adjacent vehicle and a guide portion; a pair of guide elements carried by said guide portion and adapted for sliding movement transversely of said Vehicle; and means pivotally connecting said links and said guide elements.

9. In vehicle draft means, an arcuate guide member adapted to be xedly mounted on a vehicle adjacent one endV thereof and disposed transversely with respect thereto; a roller structure including a, plurality of rollers and means 'for maintaining said rollers in spaced relation y carried by said guide member and adapted for rolling movement relatively thereto; a pair of links pivotally secured at one end thereof to said roller structure; combined coupling and guide means including a coupling portion adapted for connection to an adjacent vehicle and a guide portion; a pair of guide'elements carried by saidV guide portion and adapted for sliding movement transversely of said vehicle; means for yieldably restraining movement of said guide elements; and means pivotally connecting said links and said guide elements.

ROBERT N. J ANEWAY. 

